During "Good Morning America's" respectful coverage of Ted Kennedy and the sad announcement of his cancer on Wednesday, ABC's medical expert, Dr. Tim Johnson, used the occasion to laud Kennedy's very liberal goals for reforming health care. After stating his admiration for the Massachusetts senator, Johnson fawned, "He is a true giant in the field of those of us who care about health care reform. And we want his leadership to continue."
Johnson may be a doctor, but his rigid liberalism fits right in at ABC. He has a long history of using network airwaves to back Kennedy and other liberal Democrats and their policies. On September 24 1993, he rhapsodized, "...The Clintons are almost heroes in my mind for finally facing up to the terrible problems we have with our current health care system..." On July 19, 1994, he extolled then-First Lady Hillary Clinton's plans for universal health care in an interview, saying, "So at least from the physicians represented here, you get a 100 percent vote, including mine, for universal coverage."
On April 26, 2007, Johnson raved about Kennedy and a fellow Democrat, Representative John Dingell, for their liberal health care plans. He affectionately referred to them as "two old war horses" who are "trying to do what I think is the right thing."
So, while ABC viewers can expect competent medical advice from Johnson, they should probably be aware that his political policies are just as liberal as many of his network colleagues.
A transcript of the exchange between Johnson and GMA co-host Diane Sawyer, which aired at 7:11am on May 21, follows:
DIANE SAWYER: And I know you know him. I know that you feel strongly about him.
DR. TIM JOHNSON: Oh, I've come to admire the man enormously in the last several years. He is a true giant in the field of those of us who care about health care reform. And we want his leadership to continue.
—Scott Whitlock is a news analyst for the Media Research Center.
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Liberal health care
May 21, 2008 - 16:04 ET by SGriffisYou can bet that Ted Kennedy isn't subjecting himself to liberalism's universal health care. And neither would Dr Johnson if he ever got sick.
You've got that right. As a
May 21, 2008 - 21:36 ET by Republic1You've got that right. As a member of the Senate, he has some of the best health care coverage in the world. And even if he didn't, with personal wealth estimated at around 45 million, he could pay for coverage himself. Not bad for one of the nation's most prominent socialists.
"Whoever changed his Islamic religion, then kill him." -Muhammad
too many pill experiments
May 21, 2008 - 16:41 ET by wizardjrThis dopey doctor and his "100%" buddies are showing signs of the results of too much pill popping. When the government gets through wrecking the health care system these guys will be earning less than a cash register queen at K-Mart. They really don't get it. In England you had the Harley Street Specialists making a fortune. The other 99.99999 percent of the doctors made a pittance regulated by the labor board. Guess what quality of health care you get then?
Remember Somalia
May 21, 2008 - 17:09 ET by cyborg3kLest anyone forget, it was Tim Johnsons ABC reports on Somalia that led to the massive American effort to relieve a completely avoidable famine there, and eventually, to the murders of a lot of American servicemen for no good reason.
It was a "crisis" in
May 21, 2008 - 17:14 ET by mattmIt was a "crisis" in 1992. Yet nothing was done, and the system is still working fine - except for the lack of availibility of HSAs as an option in place of HMOs (which are nothing but money launderers) and all that "free" healthcare we give to illegal aliens, etc.
I wonder if ABC interviewed any pro-HSA doctors for thier position of "medical expert."
mattm
May 21, 2008 - 17:22 ET by Jerry MackI agree! If it ain't broke, pretend that it is and come up with a plan to fix it.
No Surprise Here
May 21, 2008 - 20:57 ET by Del DolemonteDr. Tim has for many years been on the staff of Mass General, and on the faculty of Harvard Med School. He was also a regular on the Boston ABC affiliate before moving on to GMA.
I liked my post in an
May 22, 2008 - 00:34 ET by stratmanI liked my post in an earlier NB article on Dr. Tim (http://newsbusters.org/blogs/scott-whitlock/2007/10/19/abc-medical-expert-gushes-hillary-knows-health-care-better-anyone), where he opined that Hilary was the most informed candidate on the business of medicine, that I decided to post it again here.
Tim, Tim, Tim. You are a bright man who has been intoxicated by the opiate of Socialism.
Maybe Hilary does have more knowledge of health care than the other candidates, albeit the Socialist form. But what about Doctor Ron Paul? Let's see, physician of fourty years plus 20 years in Congress versus a lifelong politik (Slovenian for "Carpetbagger") with seven years in the Senate. How about putting your money where your mouth is, Tim. I know which of the two I would listen to more when it come to health care and it isn't the one with the initials "Hilary Clinton".
What a snake oil salesman you have become to opine personal political prejudices while presenting yourself as impartial physician leader.
Johnson epitomizes the aging Liberal patrician of the AMA hierarchy who speak for ever increasing Liberal special interest movements within and outside the medical profession. Worse yet is the new breeds of activist Liberals and Leftists within the profession which glom onto leadership positions where they can then drive their agendas.
I would not be surprised if Johnson were "rewarded" with the position of Surgeon General in a Hilary presidency, as an earlier poster (MikeB) commented. How else will Johnson continue to gild his lily at this point in his career. Maybe as Physician Admiral of Anthropogenic Global Warming?
By the way, Hippocrates did not call for governments to provide health care to people. That was a job of the physician as an individual. Stop promoting your Socialist dystopia funded on my dime.
RRAM Tough!
If we get
May 22, 2008 - 10:45 ET by misterbee241If we get Kennedy/Hillary/Obama care, Dr Johnson will be a government employee, getting paid what the government says he should get. Do you really want that Doc? To paraphrase Rabbi Gamaliel - Consider carefully what you do.
There is none so blind as they that won’t see. Jonathan Swift 1667-1745
Um...
May 22, 2008 - 14:37 ET by TheDeuceDoes this doctor even see patients anymore? I mean, you know, regular patients who need a physical or have strep throat.
For some reason, I don't see him ever becoming a government employee.
Also, what a stupid line...he said that 'you got 100% of the vote of the doctors here'. He's the only freaking doctor there! What a doof. It's like the lefties who opine that they can't think of a single friend or neighbor that's voting GOP and wondering aloud how the GOP ever wins an election.